Joburg inner city electricity crisis deepens as city loses billions in revenue
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero says the city is losing almost R7 billion a year in electricity revenue as illegal connections, cable theft and ageing infrastructure worsen outages in the inner city. City Power has outlined a multimillion-rand programme to refurbish substations and replace damaged cables.
Johannesburg's inner city is grappling with a deepening electricity crisis, driven by billions of rand in losses, aging infrastructure, illegal connections, and cable theft. Executive Mayor Dada Morero revealed at an Inner City Electricity Imbizo in Yeoville on Wednesday that electricity losses stand at 29%, attributed to illegal connections, meter bypassing, theft, and unrecorded consumption.
The city spends R23 billion annually buying bulk electricity from Eskom but loses nearly R7 billion due to unaccounted electricity usage.
Illegal connections are straining infrastructure not built to handle the extra burden, according to Morero. He emphasized the need to find funds for replacing burnt transformers and stolen cables, urging residents to pay for electricity and municipal services. The crisis escalated in February when a fire at Bree Substation plunged significant parts of the CBD and adjacent areas into darkness, affecting locations like Newtown, Braamfontein, Parktown, Marshalltown, and the CBD. Repairs faced delays due to safety concerns and substantial damage.
City Power Acting CEO Charles Tlouane noted that older infrastructure complicates fault identification and repairs. However, the utility is actively working on programs to replace aging equipment, refurbish transformers, and restore damaged infrastructure. These initiatives are part of the Inner City investment program, which includes R12.5 million to reduce load on Pritchard Substation by diverting electricity to Central and Siemert Road substations, and R30 million each for refurbishing Central and Bree Substations. This includes replacing deteriorated switchgear affected by theft, vandalism, and fires.
The program allocates R20 million to replace the Bree-Fordsburg high-voltage cable circuit, which was out of service since the July 2023 Bree Street explosion, and R60.73 million for transformer renewal at various substations. An additional R40 million is designated for rehabilitating underground electricity tunnels, focusing on ventilation, drainage, structural repairs, lighting, and security enhancements.
Morero acknowledged the need for more than maintenance, recognizing the city's aging network requires refurbishment or replacement due to growing demand. He warned that abandoned and hijacked buildings exacerbate the problem through illegal connections and urged residents to report such activities.
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